Pluralism

4 Pages

1014 Words

In the United States, we have managed to somehow live among various types of people. In these states, we coincide with people with different backgrounds, languages, and cultures. We are perhaps the only country which successfully blends or accepts people from different ethnic groups. Although we seem to be successful in the welcoming of different ethnic groups, there is always one ethnic group that is dominant over all. Because dominance does not equal racial equality, some people of the United States questions which social model is right for the country. The social models put into consideration are the following but may not be the answer: assimilation, pluralism, and multiculturalism.
The definition of assimilation given in the book On Being Different is the process in which all minority groups gradually adopt the customs, attitudes, and traits of a dominant group, leaving their old cultures behind. The dominant group in the United States is the European Americans, so assimilation means that minorities would have to adopt the lifestyle of the white people.
The article ‘’Language and Civil Society’’ defines cultural pluralism as ‘’the peaceful coexistence of more than one culture in a society, a situation in which all cultures within a society are valued, respected, and appreciated for their different contributions ‘’(Language and Civil Society). On Being Different explains the social model pluralism as accepting other ethnic groups and giving them the opportunity to prosper as long as other ethnic groups do not invade or threaten the dominant groups values and norms. The minority group can hold on to their traditions such as language, religion, artistic expression, and social customs. Although a dominant group still exist, diversity in pluralism makes a dominant group less important. Groups do not blend as they do in assimilation, but they are not prejudice to one another. They respect each ot
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